Do you crave more? More money, time, love, happiness? Whether you want to make a huge change in your life, or simply find peace with everything around you, including with your finances, gratitude is the place to begin.

As a financial advisor working with individuals and families for fourteen years, I have seen that lasting happiness isn’t achieved by reaching a certain level of wealth or a senior title. Happiness comes to those who appreciate the present moment, no matter what it looks like.

Sure, money can make life easier, however, it is when you feel grateful for all that you already have, that you experience real abundance.

Here are four ways that gratitude can help you feel rich right now regardless of your financial situation.

1. Give thanks for what you’ve already purchased.

Instead of letting your debt, student loans, credit card balances, overwhelm you, give thanks for the wonderful education you received, the amazing experiences you had with friends, or the new items that made you feel good.

Personally, when I write a check or send an online payment, I add “THANK YOU” in the memo for I have received something in return.

2. Appreciate that you have a choice over your thoughts and actions.

Life is a series of consequences from the choices you make.

When I make choices from a place of scarcity, when my mind is racing with thoughts of “I gotta have more” or “I’m not doing enough,” it invariably results in a deficit of money, sleep, and time.

I’ve learned to stop myself and be conscious of what is going on, internally and externally.

I feel better just knowing that I have a choice. I can choose to hold onto my feelings of inadequacy or let go of them and think differently. Same with my behavioral patterns. I can continue my current patterns or I can make a change.

How do you want to spend your money, time, and energy? What do you believe is possible with your money and your life?

Give thanks for the fact that you have the power of choice and allow yourself to make them from a place of abundance.

3. Appreciate what you already have instead of focusing on what you don’t.

It’s easy to get caught up in materialism and chase after things to buy your joy. But a consumption-centric lifestyle can rob you of both your financial and emotional security.

A recent study done earlier this year by Jo-Ann Tsang and her team at Baylor University found that as materialism increased, feelings of gratitude and life satisfaction decreased. Further, they found that the less satisfied people were, the less gratitude they experienced.

Focus, instead, on the abundance that surrounds you now. Make a list of your blessings including fresh air, running water, a roof over your head, your ability to walk and see.

Try giving thanks for your job, without complaining about your boss. And appreciate the money in your bank account without criticizing yourself about not having or earning more.

4. Appreciate the people in your life.

Take a moment to appreciate everyone around you. I’m definitely guilty of working so hard that I miss out on time with my kids. But whenever I spend an afternoon, or frankly even 10 minutes of pure fun and love, I feel incredibly abundant. The best is when I wake up and my three kids crawl into my bed for “snuggle bug” time.

My 8 year old recently asked me, “why do you have to get all dressed up and put on that makeup? I like you best in your pajamas.” Moments like these remind me how much I am loved for who I am, not for what I do or what l look like.

Make time to connect with others, whether it’s with your family, co-workers, or in your community, and open up to the abundance that already exists regardless of what you have.

I began a gratitude practice when I decided to change my life and become a writer as well as a Certified Financial Planner. It allowed me to follow my values and make my dreams come true.

Juliana ParkJuliana is a Certified Financial Planner and author of newly released, The Abundance Loop: 8 Steps to Manifest Conscious Wealth, published by Hay House. She is Vice President at a global financial institution and is passionate about helping people enrich both their net-worth and self-worth. She contributes to The Huffington Post and has been featured in Dr. Oz, The Good Life Magazine, Glamour, and is an avid supporter of Project Happiness and The Greater Good Science Center. She lives an abundant life in Oakland, CA with her husband and three children.